The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-12-01
THE FIFTIETn CoNGREss.
The Complexion and Probable Attitude of
the House.
CFrom the paItimore snnN

.-." the House. |
(From the Baltimore SUM-
The 9th of December, the date on
which the Fiftieth Congress will begin
it's iabors, is already near at hand.
Within the short space of three weeks
the members of the National Legislature
will have assembled at Washington and
have tak ken stops of preparation for the
work OF long session. Both houses OF
the Flttieth Congress will be of the same
political complexion as in the Forty
ninth, but with diminished majority
for the party dominant in each. That il
to say, the Senate will continue Repub-
hcan by majority Of 2, as against Il
majority of 8 during the Forty-ninth
Congress, while the House will be Dem
ooratic by majority Of 43 in tho Forty
ninth Congress. The fact that the
coming session precedes Immediately q
Presidential election lends extraordinary
interest to its work, discoumges tho eX-
pectation that much useful legislation
will be accomplished. Tho Senate and
House, unless past experience is mis-
leading, will be at cross purposes each
trying to kill important measures origi-
mated by the other from which party
capital can be made, or vying with each
other in the passage of eXtravagant bills
OF q demagogical character.
The great measure of the session will
be an Act to reduce taxes, The attitude
to be assumed toward this necessary and
inevitable measure by the parties respon-
slble for the control respectively of the
House and the Senate is question upon
which az cally decision will have to be
made. The Republican Senate will, VIC
may assume, continue to favor the rcton-
tiOn o. tAo existing tariir taxes. If there
ls to be reduction of taxation tho Sen
ate will favor the abolition OF the inter
nal taxes on beer, whiskGy and tobacco.
Until such measure of tax reduction
can be secured it will continue to call
patriotically for big appropriations for
pensions, subsidies, forts and big guns,
proposing to ObViatc the accumulation
of dangerous surplus in tho treasury
by distributing the expenditure of mann
moth sums over series of years. Tho
Senate knows its mind, and will act il.
the interest Of the protcctiOnists in any
event, whether by obstructing and mn-
tllating tariff reform bill coming from
the House, or by originating Il fallGcious
tux reduction bill Of It's own.
The House, unfortunately, is less de-
cldcd. The Democratic majority is
divided upon the issue Of tux reform.
There Is small and obstinate faction OF
the Democratic mCmbors, under Mr..
Randall's leadership, who faypG enc Re
publican policy of 1proLcctiof. in con-
junction with the KcpuhEc6ns they arc
sufficiently numcrouSSit appears, if true
to Mr. Randall, ,t5 defeat any plan OF
tax reduction Bfc majority Of the Demo
cratic representation may propose. They
are sufficiently numerous or devoted
TO &1fr Randall, it is said, to defeat MIR.
,1Oarhslc's re-olCCtjOn TO the SpcakCrship,
but i'll tho absence OF CORRESPONDING do
fections from the Republicans of tho
House, they hold the balance of power
rs regards all fiscal questions.
The democratic pau for the reduction
of taxes will most probably bo rs follows:
70 abolish altogether the internal tax on
tobacco; to remove, if practicable, the
tnX Oh fruit brandirS; to put the raw
materials of manufacturers on the free
list, and, finally, 10 reduce the tax on
imported articles, consumed in II large
measure by thopoor
MIR. Randalps plan is simpler: 10
abolish tnc IDtcrnal taxes on beer and
whlSkcy as well as tobacco, and, il This
effects too largo reduction of the Gov
rrnmcnts income, to restore it by in
creasing the tariff taxes ON articles such
rs tin plate, That arc trNcd now below the
average rate. MIR. Rauiuil's scheme i,
so clearly lml mlracticnbiU and unwiSc that
taril rctOrmcrS cherish the hOpo That
their moro reasonable ;uc".urc will, in
the end win enough RGudalllte and Re
publican votes to insure its passage.
Once passed by the House, Il bill SO
popular with the masses will hardly, ii
is thought, be wholly rejected in the
Senate within few months OF Prcsi-
dental election.
Apart from tarill' reform tho measures
most likely to try the virtue Of Congress-
men during the coming session arc en-
travagant pension bills. The cXccsscs at
st. Louis Of Grand Army pension hunt
ors have largely strengthened the feel
lnGS against such bills, and President
Cleveland may be trusted TO veto bills
passed for Duncombc. The Canadian
fisheries question will, no doubt, obtain
large share Of attention, in case the
commission sitting at Washington il able
to negotiate suitable treaty. The
President will probably DO roughly
handled by Svnrtor Frye for not using
his powCra 20 prohibit commcrcini inter
course with Cnr Northern nGighbor, but
the progress of events has minimiHcd the
fisheries issue, and everybody is now
aware that 1T IS not worth going to war
about. IhC failure Of the river and
harbor btu Mt the last session Of the
Forty ninth Congress imposes on the
Llttlcth the necessity OF providing libcr-
ally for the needs OF the coming fiscal
year.
Tated Ship.
The superstition Of sailors is pro-